Hidden
by TrishaTonks
Summary: Ginny's been in hiding for five years, and it's about to fall apart. Ginny/Tonks.
1. Prologue

A/N: Well, it's been a very, very, VERY long hiatus. School happened, vacations happened, internships happened – life happened. That said, I'm back! I'm not sure if I will be revisiting any of my old fics (truth be told, I'm not even sure where I was going with a few of them anymore), but I do have the start of a new fic for you! I promise I'm going to complete this one. Seriously, this time. It's going to happen.

Anyway. As always, these characters are not my own. All rights belong to the lovely JKR.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"So you'll do it?" he asked, eyes unblinking.

She looked around the room, as the aurors milled about. The war may have ended seven, long years ago, but there was still plenty of work to be done. Yet, she hadn't worked a big case, not since that day. This could be her chance to really break through, to prove herself, once and for all. There was no way she could turn it down.

Still, a seed of doubt settled deep into her stomach.

"I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 1

At exactly 3:30 AM, Ginny awoke with a start. A crash had sounded from her living room, rousing her from her deep sleep. Frantic, she jumped out of bed and grabbed her wand, her breathing labored and erratic.

_He's here_, she thought, hysterically. Looking around, she made a split second decision and tucked under her bed, hidden at first glance from anyone who walked into the room.

Ginny flinched as another crash resonated through the room. Mentally, she began to go over her emergency plan in her head.

_1. Keep hidden for as long as possible_

_2. Stunning spell if there's a clear shot_

_3. If I'm seen, blast everything and try to get to the door or emergency portkey_

_4. And, if all else fails, send a patronus to George_

After a few moments, though, it was clear that whatever had happened was over. Slowly, Ginny crawled out from under the bed and inched toward her bedroom door. Holding her breath, she made her way into the living room, her nerves alive and tingling, like her whole body was on fire. Wand out, she burst through the door.

She exhaled. Sitting on her living room floor was Belle, her neighbor's cat, surrounded by shards of glass that were once a vase on her coffee table.

"What are you doing here, Bella Boo?" Ginny cooed to the cat.

_She must have slipped in earlier when I was bringing the groceries in_, Ginny thought, scooping the little cat up while skillfully avoiding the blue glass.

"Come on, silly cat, out you go," Ginny said, opening her door. "Go on home!"

Once the cat was gone, Ginny shut her door and slowly slid down it, until she was sitting on the floor.

Sighing, Ginny waved her wand, vanishing the small shards.

_Well, there's no way I'm going to be able to go back asleep now that I'm so on edge_, Ginny thought, agitated. She stood up and grabbed a book from her bookshelf, and settled into the couch – she could at least try to relax a little before she left for work in a few hours.

* * *

The next morning, Ginny left the house at seven and headed to work. She owned a small coffee and tea shop, called the Bluebird Café. Every morning she went in early to bake muffins and bagels, and start brewing the coffee. It was a small joint, but her customers arrived regularly, and she made more than enough to get by.

After unlocking the door, Ginny bustled in and went to work in the kitchen.

Soon, Ginny heard a tinkling at the front door. A few moments later, a dark-haired girl popped into the kitchen.

"Morning, Ginny!" Stella said.

Stella was one of Ginny's closest friends, and worked as her assistant in the café. Every morning she came in and helped set up the front of the store while Ginny cooked in the back. She washed the tables and windows, filled the napkin dispensers, and made sure the silverware, plates, and bowls were clean and ready to use.

"Ginny, if you're ready, I'm going to open up!" Stella yelled from the front of the store. Ginny yelled back,

"Alright! I'll be out in a couple minutes!"

Ginny pulled out the last of the muffins from the oven and set them on a rack to cool. Leaning against the counter, she rubbed her eyes.

_July 16__th __already… I've been here for five years…_

A tinkling of the bell from the front door broke her from her reverie. Taking a deep breath, Ginny rubbed her palms on her pants and went out to the counter, where a small, gray-haired man was waiting.

"Morning, Mr. Johnson!" Ginny smiled. "Your usual?"

After five years, Ginny had practically everyone's order memorized. Occasionally a new customer would pop in, but generally the crowd was the same. Ginny liked it that way, though. She got to know each customer, and after awhile it began to feel like home to her – like a big family all gathered together for coffee and tea in the morning. And with all those people in her slightly cluttered store, well, to be honest it felt like the Burrow.

Ginny sighed.

_It's going to be a long day…_

* * *

By the end of the afternoon, Ginny was exhausted. She poured two cups of tea and brought them out to a table, collapsing in a chair, head in her hands. Moments later, the shop closed, Stella joined her.

"It's been five years exactly, Stella," Ginny said. Stella studied her carefully.

"You could always go back, you know. There has to be some way to visit without being seen by anyone else… some magic-y thing, I don't know…"

Ginny smiled.

"It's not that easy. I know that having a wand and magic seems like the answer to every problem, but it's not. There are ways of tracking people, even those who are invisible. I'm still surprised I managed to get out when I did, and that I've managed to stay here for this long. Sometimes I feel like it's all going to come crashing down around me."

"Well, like you said, it _has_ been five years – I think it's safe to say that no one is going to come looking anymore," Stella said, sipping her tea.

"I don't know, Stella," Ginny began. "Somehow, I have a feeling that something's going to happen. I don't know how, and I don't know what, but the feeling's there."

Stella frowned.

"You've had a long day, why don't you head home. I'll finish cleaning up here, and lock up before I leave." Stella stood up, and took the empty teacups with her. "Go on, Gin – you deserve a break, especially today."

Ginny smiled, then went behind the counter to grab her things.

"Thanks Stella, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Stella smiled and nodded, then went back into the kitchen to load more dishes into the dishwasher. Ginny grabbed her wand and stuffed it into her back pocket, then left.

Outside, the day was still warm, the sun just starting to move behind the trees. Ginny preferred to walk home when the weather was nice, rather than apparating. The walk was quick, only about five minutes, but it gave her a chance to clear her head and relax.

When she got home, Ginny changed into a comfy pair of shorts and called for some takeaway Thai food. She was tired, and quite frankly, pretty lonely – all she wanted to do was eat and then go straight to bed.

Once her food arrived, she took it into the living room and put it on the coffee table, and then collapsed on the couch. Within seconds there was a tapping on her window.

Ginny shot up, but calmed down once she realized it was only Bart, George's owl. A smile crept across her face as she went and received the letter that was tied to the owl. It wasn't often that she got a letter from George, considering how risky their communication was, but it never failed to put a smile on her face.

She quickly gave the owl a treat, then retreated once more to the couch.

_Dear Bug,_

_Hope all is well! I can't say much, but I wanted to let you know I have next weekend off. Mum's expecting me for lunch, but I should be able to escape for an evening to come down. Where should I apparate to?_

_Much love,_

_George_

Ginny was ecstatic. It had been almost two years since she had seen George, because it wasn't safe for him to come often, in case someone noticed his absence or followed him. She couldn't wait to see him.

Grabbing some parchment, she quickly scribbled her reply to George.

_George,_

_You can apparate behind the Oak Street Theater – it's only a couple blocks away, and it's under construction right now so it's pretty deserted there. _

_I can't wait to see you!_

_Bug_

Ginny tied the parchment to Bart, then took him to the window.

"Be careful, now!" Ginny said, closing the window behind him. Smiling, Ginny returned to the couch, and dug into her food.

The evening had definitely begun to look up.

* * *

A/N: There's the first real chapter! I have a feeling this is going to be a long fic… we'll see! The chapters will be switching between Ginny's POV and Tonks' POV, so expect some Tonks' action soon.

Also, I'm working on getting my writing back up to par, so please excuse any rough bits in this fic – hopefully it will get better with each chapter!


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: You may have noticed I went back and edited the number of years Ginny's been in hiding – this was just so I could keep both Ginny and Tonks' in their 20s. At the present, Ginny is 23, and Tonks is 28. Hopefully there isn't any confusion!

* * *

To a stranger, it would have appeared that Tonks had the plague. The other aurors seemed to be giving her and her cubicle, located in the far back corner of the department, a wide berth. Tonks frowned. At one point in time she had been given her own office, away from the prying eyes of her colleagues, but that was before the incident, and everything was different now. Tonks shook her head, and leaned back in her chair.

"Accepting this assignment was one thing," Tonks muttered, "but actually doing it is something entirely different."

Across her desk were various files, all containing interviews and evidence concerning the disappearance of Ginny Weasley. Tonks had been reviewing the case all morning, but it was getting her nowhere. All of the files essentially stated the same thing – Ginny was alone at the London apartment she shared with Harry Potter the night of her disappearance five years ago, there were no signs of foul play, and the only thing missing from the apartment besides Ginny herself was her wand. It was like she up and left without saying a word to anyone.

_Which_, Tonks thought to herself, _doesn't make any sense at all. _

She knew that Ginny was incredibly close to her family, a fact confirmed by many other people, and there was no reason for her to run away. She had no enemies, and she wasn't in any type of trouble. The case was puzzling, which was why it was closed to begin with. There were simply no leads to go on.

Standing up, Tonks walked over to her old office, her fist clenching at the shiny, gold nameplate on the door. She stopped, and rapped at the offending piece of wood until a voice told her to enter.

"I'm going out to question the family, " Tonks said, clenching her teeth. Harry Potter nodded, not taking his eyes up from the file on his desk.

"Just make sure you're back by five," Harry said. "I'm not going to give you overtime."

Biting her tongue, Tonks left her superior's office and grabbed a few things from her cubicle – her wand, her auror badge, and a muggle notebook and pen for jotting down notes. She strode out of the department, feeling the many eyes on her and ignoring the looks she knew she was getting.

* * *

Tonks left the ministry, and apparated to Ottery St. Catchpole. Taking a deep breath to clear her head, she walked forward and knocked on the door of the Burrow, the Weasley family home.

Moments later, Molly Weasley answered the door.

"Tonks!" Molly exclaimed, not hesitating to scoop the auror into a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Tonks smiled and gently pried herself free.

"I'm here for work, actually. Do you have a moment?" she asked, pulling out her badge.

Mrs. Weasley cocked her head and nodded, leading the younger woman inside. She quickly busied herself, making a pot of tea, before sitting down and handing Tonks a cup.

"So what's all this, dear?" Molly asked. "I haven't seen you in years."

Tonks took a steadying breath.

"Molly, I'm reopening the missing persons case on your daughter."

Tonks let the statement sink in for a second, watching the flurry of emotions cross the matron's face.

"Is there… do you have any new information? Any leads?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her hands gripping the edge of the table. "I thought they said it was impossible to trace her, that there was a good chance that she was dead?"

Tonks took a moment before answering.

"Well, no – we don't have any new information, per say. I was asked to open the case again, to see if I could get anything new out of it. There's no evidence that says she's dead, but there's really no evidence that suggests otherwise either. That's why I'm here. I want to interview the family again, see if I can pick up anything that the other aurors assigned to the case may have missed. I'm looking to give you some closure, regardless of what happens."

Tonks paused, giving the other woman a chance to compose herself.

"So, what can you remember about the night Ginny disappeared?"

Mrs. Weasley sighed quietly, closing her eyes.

"It was mid-July, and the heat was oppressive. I was in bed, but I was sweating even just laying there. I'm not sure that anyone slept well that night, with the air so thick, so foreboding. Ginny was at her apartment, like she was most nights. She had been living there for about 2 years, since the end of the war. She was 18, her birthday only a month away."

Molly paused, and Tonks reached out to clasp the matron's hand. Shaking, she continued.

"I remember that I was going to get out of bed, because I couldn't sleep anyway. Arthur had _just_ fallen asleep, though, and I didn't want to wake him. So I just lay there until morning. If I had gotten up, I may have noticed something off with Ginny's hand on the clock, and maybe I could have stopped it. I didn't though, so Harry showed up around 6:30 in the morning frantic because Ginny wasn't home. When she wasn't here, he sent a message to the aurors, and the search began. We didn't find her though, not even a trace. She was gone."

Tonks jotted a few notes on her pad, though she really didn't need to. There was nothing new about this interview – it was almost identical to the original in Ginny's case file.

"You have to find her, Tonks," Molly said, her voice small, but her eyes dry. "You have to find out what happened to her."

Looking up, Tonks nodded.

"I will, Molly. I will."

* * *

Walking out of the Burrow, Tonks headed toward the muggle village down the road. She was tired, hungry, and already had a headache forming.

_This is a useless case_, Tonks thought, running her fingers through her hair. _She hasn't shown her face in five years – if she was taken, there's no way she's alive._

Tonks' knew that was the reason the case was assigned to her to begin with – it was a useless case meant to keep her busy and out of everybody's way. Nobody expected her to actually find Ginny, and that just made Tonks' sad. She felt bad for the family - opening this case was only going to cause unnecessary pain for everyone involved. Besides, even if they did find her, it was going to be her remains.

_I mine as well contact the anthropology unit now, since that's where this case is going to end up…_

Tonks sighed, and entered a small restaurant at the end of the road.

_I'll tackle this case after lunch._

* * *

After her meal, Tonks went back to the ministry. She only had a couple hours left in her day, and she felt it would be best spent questioning Harry and Ron. They should both be done with their fieldwork for the day, and their paperwork could wait a bit.

_Not that Harry would bother to touch his paperwork to begin with_, Tonks thought as she made her way to the auror department.

She mentally reviewed Harry's initial interviews about the disappearance of Ginny Weasley. He had been dating and living with Ginny from the months after the war until the night of her disappearance, and was most likely the last person who saw the young girl. Though Tonks doubted she would gain any new information from him, it would be worth it to touch base with him.

Working her way through the office, Tonks stopped in front of Harry's door and knocked. When she entered, she saw Harry reading that day's paper. Looking up, he welcomed her in.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, a half smile on his face. Tonks balled her hands into fists.

"Tell me about the morning you discovered Ginny was missing."

Harry frowned, and placed the paper onto his desk.

"Well," he started, "the night she disappeared I had a guys night with Ron. We went out to a muggle club, got pretty pissed, and stayed out really late. We didn't leave until 2, maybe 3 in the morning? You know how it is."

Harry laughed, but his smiled faltered when he saw Tonks' face.

"Go on."

Harry sighed.

"I crashed at Ron's place that night. His flat was closer than my apartment, and neither of us were in any condition to apparate. When I woke up the next morning, I flooed back home. I had a splitting headache, and wanted Ginny to make breakfast so that I could take a hangover potion. When I got there, though, she was gone. The house looked the same as always – nothing broken, nothing taken. The only thing missing was Ginny and her wand. I figured she may have spent the night with her mother, so I went straight to the Burrow. When she wasn't there, I sent a message to the auror office. They arrived straightaway and we started a search.

"We never found her, though," Harry sighed. "People don't just go missing in the middle of the night, Tonks. Something happened, and I need to know what."

Tonks eyed him carefully. She knew that his word was golden, even if it was unreliable. A drunken memory is a skewed memory, always.

Standing up, Tonks nodded.

"Where's Ron?" she asked. She wanted to double-check his story with Ron's, even though they were bound to be the same.

"Just got back, I believe," Harry said, motioning his head to the office beside his. "Times a tickin', though, so you better grab him before he leaves."

Tonks left Harry's office, and walked to Ron's. Tapping on the door, Ron let out a yell for her to enter.

"Hey, Tonks, what's up?" he asked, eyeing her over his case file.

"You heard the news yet?" she asked, sitting in the cushioned chair in front of his desk.

Ron lowered the file and shook his head.

"We're reopening Ginny's missing person case," Tonks said, sinking lower into the comfortable chair. "I've been assigned to it."

Ron eyed her carefully, a slight sadness tainting his face.

"Is there new information?" Ron asked, pulling a pair of glasses off his head. Tonks sighed, and shook her head.

"No. No new information, no leads, no trace whatsoever."

Ron looked like he was about to speak, but she cut him off before he got the chance.

"I know, Ron. I _know. _I'm going to do what I can, but don't get your hopes up. Harry asked me to look into it, and I'm not about to throw a case away because it's too difficult."

Ron nodded, and she continued.

"I won't keep you long, since you need to clock out soon – and I expect Hermione would kill me if I kept you late – but I need you to tell me about the night Ginny disappeared, and any other information you might have."

Rubbing his eyes, Ron leaned back in his chair.

"If I've told this story once, I've told it a thousand times. I can't guarantee complete accuracy though – I was drunk, and my memory is fuzzy at best. Harry and I went out to a muggle club, and got pretty drunk. There was no way Harry could have apparated home, and if he flooed he was certain to throw up, so he crashed at my place. He left early the next morning – I was still asleep – and I didn't see him until later in the morning when I found out Ginny was gone. We didn't have any idea what could have happened, who could have taken her. Now it's been what, five years? There hasn't been any sign of her. It just doesn't make sense."

Tonks nodded.

"You're right. It doesn't make any sense at all."

* * *

A/N: I promise things will begin to clear up soon! Please review if you get the chance.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** A couple more Tonks chapters before we head back to Ginny!

* * *

Tonks lay sprawled on her bedroom floor, listing the name of everyone she interviewed on the ceiling with her wand.

_Molly Weasley_

_Harry Potter_

_Ron Weasley_

_Arthur Weasley_

_Charlie Weasley_

_Bill Weasley_

_Fleur Weasley_

_Luna Lovegood_

_Neville Longbottom_

_Percy Weasley_

_Hannah Abbott_

_Michael Corner_

_Dean Thomas_

_Colin Creevey_

_Marietta Edgecombe_

_Seamus Finnigan_

_Oliver Wood_

_Angelina Johnson_

_Lee Jordan_

_Katie Bell_

_Justin Finch-Fletchley_

Tonks sighed, and vanished the glowing list.

_Twenty-one interviews and not a single one has been useful_, she thought, pulling herself off the floor. Even though it was still dark out, Tonks slipped on a pair of jeans and a sleeveless button-up. She was heading into the office early to look over a few files before finishing her last interview, this one with George Weasley. At this point, she expected little from George – it seemed nobody knew anything about Ginny's disappearance. Tonks was aware that _somebody_ had to know _something_, but that somebody could be anywhere in the world right now.

She figured whoever knew was going to take the secret to their grave.

_And they're going to take my job with it_.

* * *

It was still early when Tonks entered Diagon Alley, the sound of her footsteps echoing around her. She made her way to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, cutting around to the back entrance. She stopped and knocked, the sound loud and jarring for the hour.

After a couple seconds, the door opened, and George Weasley looked at her warily.

"I've been wondering when you'd show up. Come on up."

The two of them climbed a couple flights of stairs, to the flat he owned above the shop. George let her in, and set two cups of coffee on the table before sinking into a chair. Tonks sat across from him, and added a little milk to her drink, stirring it slowly.

"So," George said, folding his hands on the table.

"So," Tonks replied, looking up at him. "I supposed you know why I'm here already?"

"Of course. Mum's in a frenzy, nearly sick with worry all over again. Everybody knows."

Tonks sighed, and sat back in her seat.

"You have to understand, George, it's out of my hands. I was assigned the case – this is my job."

"Yeah, well, this is my family. It's my parents, my brothers, my _sister_. Face the facts – she's not coming back, and you know it. Just leave it alone. Taking on Ginny's case has just unearthed a lot of buried feelings, opened a lot of wounds, and brought out even more grief. It's not worth it. If she's dead, what good is knowing what happened? Personally, I'd rather be left in the dark.

"As for the question I know you're going to ask – I don't know anything. I spent the night here, in my flat, and I didn't find out she was missing until the next day. Just try to imagine the kind of pain we were all in. Fred had just passed two years prior, and then Ginbug was ripped from us as well. The war touched everyone, Tonks, nobody was left unscathed."

He stood up, and walked into the hallway.

"I trust you can show yourself out."

Tonks took a sip of her coffee, watching as George left the room, escaping to his bedroom. She hadn't expected his reaction – most of the family felt hopeful about reopening the case, they wanted closure. Tonks didn't blame him for wanting to be left in the dark, though. Personally, she felt he had the right idea, though she couldn't admit so openly.

Tonks stood, and took their two cups to the sink. She quickly rinsed and dried them, her eyes scanning the room for where they belonged. They stopped at the breadbox, something catching her eye. She put the mugs on the counter and went over. There was a single letter on top of the breadbox, underneath a jar of peanut butter. She paused, glancing at the table where they had talked – there was a small pile of mail there.

_Why would he keep one letter separate from the rest?_ She thought, raising an eyebrow.

Glancing at the door, Tonks pulled the letter out, her eyes scanning over it quickly.

_George, _

_You can apparate behind the Oak Street Theater – it's only a couple blocks away, and it's under construction right now so it's pretty deserted there._

_I can't wait to see you!_

_Bug_

Tonks reread the letter, puzzled, before placing it back where it belonged.

_Bug? _

She wasn't sure what to make of the letter, but it stuck in the back of her mind, like an itch she couldn't scratch. She quickly grabbed her things and left, walking back down Diagon Alley while she pondered it.

_Maybe he's seeing someone in secret, _Tonks thought, biting her lip. _I don't think so, though. Something about this just doesn't seem… right._

Then, it hit her so hard she nearly toppled over herself onto the cobblestones below.

_Ginbug._


	5. Chapter 4

Back at her apartment, Tonks was pacing. It was clear that Ginny was alive – the letter was definitely new. There were still plenty of questions though, questions she needed to answer before she talked to Harry. Where was Ginny? She knew she was only a few blocks away from the Oak Street Theater, but where was Oak Street? Why did she leave? And if she's been in contact with George the entire time, why hasn't he said anything?

Tonks paused, and ran her fingers through her hair. Pacing in her apartment wasn't going to make these things any clearer. What she needed was to find this Oak Street, and then find Ginny. The only person who would be able to answer all of her questions was the missing girl herself.

_If only I knew where to start._

* * *

The next morning Tonks arrived at the ministry early, the sky still a dark shade of blue. The building was quiet as she slipped through the halls, quickly walking past the empty auror office. It dawned on her the previous night that maybe _people_ weren't going to be the answer, but _books _were. So she decided to call in the reinforcements.

Hermione Granger-Weasley met her in front of the ministry's research library, two coffees in hand. The research library had collection upon collection of books, covering every subject imaginable. This was where the auror research team carefully tracked the movements of wanted criminals, studied dangerous potions and spells, and helped put together the beginnings of each case file. Tonks worked in the field, so she had never spent much time in the research library before. That was why Hermione had met her at this obscenely early hour. Hermione ran the library, and knew the space like the back of her hand. She could help you find the answer to any problem presented to her. More importantly, however, she knew the value of confidentiality – and with this case, confidentiality was going to be key.

"Morning, Tonks," Hermione said, handing her one of the cups. Tonks smiled at her gratefully.

"Morning, 'Mione. You ready?"

"Always am," she said, walking toward a wooden table in the back of the space. "What are we looking for?"

"I need to find the location of a specific theater," Tonks started, placing her coffee on the table. "The 'Oak Street Theater'. My guess is that it's in a wizarding village, probably a small one, somewhere in the UK."

Hermione nodded, and led Tonks to a tall bookshelf nearby.

"This shelf has everything we need to know on wizarding villages – maps, their histories, famous people who grew up in them, etc. There's not going to be an easy way to do this, so just grab a book and get looking."

Tonks looked at the daunting size of the bookshelf and sighed. It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

Nearly three hours later, Tonks and Hermione reshelved the last couple books. They had found nothing – there weren't exactly many Oak Streets in the wizarding world, and none of them had theaters on them. Tonks slid into a chair, about ready to give up, when Hermione brought out a strange looking device.

"Hermione?" Tonks asked, staring at her.

"Well, it's safe to say the place you're looking for is not in a wizarding village. That's not to say it doesn't exist, though. I think you're just looking in the wrong place," Hermione started. She opened up the device, and tapped it with her wand.

"This is a muggle laptop. It took me years to charm it so that the magic in this building wouldn't render it useless, but it was definitely worth it. With it, I can search for just about anything muggle related – including maps," Hermione paused, and looked up at Tonks. "This theater that you're looking for? I think it may be in the muggle world."

Hermione sat down and began typing on the laptop, every now and then clucking her tongue in impatience. Tonks glanced at the door and nervously bit her lip – ministry officials were beginning to arrive. She didn't want word to get back to Harry that she had a lead, not until she was certain. Tonks' fingers had just started to drum against the table when Hermione smiled and looked up.

"I found it."

* * *

That afternoon, Tonks wormed her way through a busy restaurant, spotting a familiar blonde head.

"Glad you could make it," Draco said sarcastically, shooting her a smile.

"Shush," Tonks said, "I'm not that late, and I have a good excuse too." Draco raised a slender eyebrow and took a sip of his water, watching his cousin.

"Oh? Do explain."

At that moment a waiter came over, and Draco gave him their orders. Tonks enjoyed her lunch dates with Draco – he was one of her only surviving family members, and it turns out they got along fabulously. They first met after the war, when Draco was overseeing the aurors' search of Malfoy Mansion. His father was accused of war crimes, and sent to Azkaban with two life sentences – one for each wizarding war. Narcissa and Draco were each pardoned; Narcissa had little to do with the war, and Draco had no choice but to do what was asked of him. He could follow his father's orders, or die. Now, with his father locked away, Draco successfully managed the family estate and investments. He donated large sums to war relief efforts and helped the world return to a state of normalcy. Not only was he respected for his status and fortune, but now he was respected as a person as well.

"So," Draco started. "Are you going to give me this brilliant excuse or not?"

"This is between you and me, but I think I have a lead in Ginny Weasley's missing person case."

Draco's eyebrows shot up, not bothering to disguise his interest.

"Well, that certainly is news. What'd you find?"

Tonks' eyes scanned the room around her before continuing.

"I was questioning George Weasley the other day when I found a letter tucked away from the rest of his mail. It was signed "Bug", which I considered odd at first until I remembered that his nickname for Ginny was "Ginbug". There were apparation instructions on it, so I took the location to Hermione and she found me an address. I think she may hiding out in the muggle world, right under our noses."

Draco was quiet for a moment, and took another sip of water.

"So you think that George has been in contact with Ginny all along?" he asked, his face inquisitive.

"That's my guess. The only question is _why_."

"Tonks," Draco started, leaning forward. "If what you say is true, and Ginny is not only alive but in contact with her brother as well, then I'm not so sure it's a good idea to investigate any further."

"What are you talking about?" Tonks hissed, mindful of the people around her. "This is it, my one chance to get back in the auror department's good books. I already fucked up once – I can't pass up an opportunity like this."

Draco slowly shook his head, eyeing Tonks.

"I don't know, Tonks. I never thought it was foul play to begin with, I would've heard about a plot from my father or his 'friends'. And if it's not foul play, then it means she left on her own. That would explain why she's in the muggle world. Maybe she doesn't want to be found."

Tonks shrugged, and the waiter arrived with their food. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully before answering.

"Whether she wants to be found or not, this is my job. It's my responsibility to find her and bring her back. There's nothing I can do."

Draco nodded, knowing there would be no way to convince her otherwise.

"There's just something off about this whole thing. I'm not saying don't do your job, but approach it with caution. Everybody has their skeletons."

Tonks nodded, and as they dug into their food, Draco struck up a story about the latest drama with his wife Pansy.

_Skeletons, indeed…_

* * *

**A/N:** First, thank you all for the kind words! I appreciate every review and message I receive. Second, I promise you will be seeing Ginny in the next chapter!


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